Bill > SB251

This bill establishes the "Louisiana Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2026" to safeguard vital state systems and assets, such as energy, water, telecommunications, transportation, and data storage, from foreign adversaries. It prohibits companies and government entities from entering into agreements that would allow foreign adversaries, defined as countries listed in federal regulations and entities controlled by them, to exercise operational command authority over critical infrastructure. The bill also bans the use of software produced by companies headquartered in or controlled by foreign adversaries in state infrastructure, requiring the removal and replacement of such software unless it was lawfully installed before August 1, 2026, and complies with federal law. Exceptions to these prohibitions exist if there are no reasonable alternatives and not entering the agreement poses a greater threat to the state, and the bill clarifies that it does not apply to transactions authorized by the U.S. government, nor does it affect telecommunications providers complying with federal law or investor-owned electric utilities subject to specific federal regulations. The Attorney General is empowered to enforce these provisions through civil proceedings.